S.A. rapper's death sentence stands

The Supreme Court denied an appeal by Ray Jasper III over the killing of a music studio owner.

Photo By Carlos Antonio Rios/photo illustration

Texas leads the nation's death penalty states in executions. Here's a list of inmates who are currently on Death Row for convictions in the San Antonio area, and some who were recently executed.

Photo By WILLIAM LUTHER/San Antonio Express-News

Armando Leza

Age entered death row: 32

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Leza was convicted of killing a disabled woman then stealing items from her home to later sell for drugs.

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Joseph Gamboa

Age entered death row: 24

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Gamboa was convicted of burglarizing a business and shooting and killing two men.

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Joe Luna

Age entered death row: 26

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Luna was convicted of choking, robbing and killing a man in his home. He later came back and burned the residence.

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Christopher Anthony Young

Age entered death row: 22

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Young was convicted of shooting and killing a man during a robbery.

Photo By BAHRAM MARK SOBHANI/San Antonio Express-News

Noah Espada

Age entered death row: 21

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Espada was convicted of shooting and killing his former employer. Espada snuck into the man's home, waited for him to return, and shot him multiple times.

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Juan Edwardo Castillo

Age entered death row: 24

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Castillo was convicted of fatally shooting a 19-year-old Hispanic male after demanding his money.

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Taichin Preyor

Age entered death row: 34

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Preyor was convicted of stabbing and killing his 20-year-old girlfriend in her apartment.

Photo By EDWARD A. ORNELAS/San Antonio Express-News

Manuel Garza Jr.

Age entered death row: 22

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Garza was convicted of shooting and killing a San Antonio police officer with the officer's gun. The officer was trying to arrest Garza on outstanding warrants.

Photo By JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News

Geronimo Rene Gutierrez

Age entered death row: 24

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Gutierrez was convicted of abducting a man in a convenience store parking lot and killing him in a secluded location. Gutierrez went back to the scene and set the body on fire after seeing the incident on the news.

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Miguel Angel Paredes

Age entered death row: 19

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Paredes was convicted of shooting and killing three people. He and two accomplices then took the bodies to Frio County and set them on fire.

Photo By EDWARD ORNELAS/San Antonio Express-News

Obie D. Weathers

Age entered death row: 20

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Weathers was convicted of shooting and killing a bartender when the man refused to give him money.

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Manuel Vasquez

Age entered death row: 31

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Vasquez was convicted of strangling and robbing a woman for the Mexican Mafia for failing to pay them.

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Anthony Bartee

Age entered death row: 41

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Bartee was out on patrol for two counts of aggravated rape when he was convicted of murdering a man and stealing the man's motorcycle.

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Carlos Trevino

Age entered death row: 22

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Trevino was convicted of raping and killing a 15-year-old in a park with three accomplices. He was a street-gang member.

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Arnold Prieto

Age entered death row: 21

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Prieto was convicted of robbing and stabbing and killing three elderly people, including his great- uncle and aunt.

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Roland Ruiz Jr.

Age entered death row: 22

Execution: Still on death row

Summary: Ruiz was convicted of being paid to and killing a woman by her husband and brother-in-law. The husband apparently wanted to collect on life insurance policies totaling $250,000.

Photo By BOB OWEN/San Antonio Express-News

Tommy Lynn Sells

Age at execution: 49

Execution: April 3, 2014

Summary: Sells pleaded guilty in 2003 to strangling a 9-year-old girl during Fiesta in 1999. However, he was first sent to death row by Val Verde County for the December 1999 murder of a 13-year-old girl, and an attack on her 10-year-old friend.

Photo By BOB OWEN/San Antonio Express-News

Ramon Torres Hernandez

Age at execution: 41

Execution: Nov. 14, 2012

Summary: Hernandez was convicted of abducting, robbing, sexually assaulting and murdering a woman before burying her body in a shallow grave in a wooded area.

Photo By BOB OWEN/San Antonio Express-News

Rodrigo Hernandez

Age at execution: 38

Execution: Jan. 26, 2012

Summary: Hernandez was convicted of abducting a woman from a grocery store parking lot, sexually assaulting and killing her. He then left her body in a garbage can in a park.

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Guadalupe Esparza

Age at execution: 46

Execution: Nov. 16, 2011

Summary: Esparza was convicted for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl before strangling her to death.

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Frank Martinez Garcia

Age at execution: 39

Execution: Oct. 27, 2011

Summary: Garcia was convicted of shooting and killing his wife and a police officer. His 5-year-old daughter witnessed both murders.

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Humberto Leal Jr.

Age at execution: 38

Execution: July 7, 2011

Summary: Leal, Jr. was convicted in the abduction, rape and bludgeoning death of a 16-year-old girl.

Photo By Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle

Joshua Maxwell

Age at execution: 31

Execution: March 11, 2010

Summary: Maxwell was convicted for shooting and killing a Bexar County deputy sheriff and dumping his body behind a strip mall.

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Reginald W. Blanton

Age at execution: 28

Execution: Oct. 27, 2009

Summary: Blanton was convicted of shooting, killing and robbing a man in his apartment.

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Luis Cervantes Salazar

Age at execution: 38

Execution: March 11, 2009

Summary: Salazar was convicted of crawling through a woman's window, attempting to sexually assault her and stabbing and killing her. The woman's 10-year-old son was also stabbed but escaped and called police.

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David Martinez

Age at execution: 36

Execution: Feb. 4, 2009

Summary: Martinez was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and her 14-year-old son with a baseball bat. He left the boy's sister, also present during the incident, unharmed.

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Frank Moore

Age at execution: 49

Execution: Jan. 21, 2009

Summary: Moore was convicted for shooting and killing two men outside a San Antonio nightclub following an argument.

Photo By MICHELLE MONDO/San Antonio Express-News

Kevin Watts

Age at execution: 27

Execution: Oct. 16, 2008

Summary: Watts was convicted for fatally shooting three people in a restaurant and kidnapping and sexually assaulting another woman.

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Clifford Allan Kimmel

Age at execution: 32

Execution: Sept. 20, 2007

Summary: Kimmel was convicted for robbing, stabbing and killing three adults in a home.

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John Joe Amador

Age at execution: 32

Execution: Aug. 29, 2007

Summary: Amador was convicted in the robbery and murder of a San Antonio cab driver.

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Vincent Gutierrez

Age at execution: 28

Execution: March 28, 2007

Summary: Gutierrez was convicted for murdering a man during a carjacking.

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Jonathan Bryant Moore

Age at execution: 32

Execution: Jan. 17, 2007

Summary: Moore was convicted for shooting and killing a police officer who was attempting to stop him from stealing from a house.

Summary: Brown was convicted for shooting, killing and attempting to rob a man. Brown was also a known member of the Crips street gang.

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Andrew Flores

Age at execution: 32

Execution: Sept. 21, 2004

Summary: Flores was convicted in the murder and robbery of a convenience store clerk. Flores and his accomplice left with $44 and the clerk's car keys but couldn’t get the car to start. They escaped on foot.

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Kia Levoy Johnson

Age at execution: 38

Execution: June 11, 2003

Summary: Johnson was convicted for shooting and killing a convenience store manager during a robbery. He got $23 from the cash register.

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Miguel A. Richardson

Age at execution: 46

Execution: June 26, 2001

Summary: Richardson was convicted for killing and robbing a security guard at a San Antonio Holiday Inn. He was arrested a year after the incident in Denver, Colo.

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Caruthers Alexander

Age at execution: 52

Execution: Jan. 29, 2001

Summary: Alexander was convicted of capital murder for raping and strangling a waitress.

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John Thomas Satterwhite

Age at execution: 53

Execution: Aug. 16, 2000

Summary: Satterwhite was convicted for shooting and killing a woman working at a grocery store after she gave him and his accomplice money from the register. The pair was arrested the next day after getting pulled over for speeding.

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Oliver Cruz

Age at execution: 33

Execution: Aug. 9, 2000

Summary: Cruz was convicted in the kidnapping, rape and stabbing death of an Air Force linguistics specialist.

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Norman Evans Green

Age at execution: 38

Execution: Feb. 24, 1999

Summary: Green was convicted in the shooting death of an electronics store clerk during a robbery attempt. He and his accomplice were unable to leave with any merchandise.

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George Cordova

Age at execution: 39

Execution: Feb. 10, 1999

Summary: Cordova was convicted for beating and stabbing a man, raping the man's girlfriend and stealing his car. Cordova was accompanied by two unidentified males.

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Javier Cruz

Age at execution: 41

Execution: Oct. 1, 1998

Summary: Cruz was convicted in the separate robbery-murders of two San Antonio men in their homes during the summer of 1991.

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Leopoldo Narvaiz Jr.

Age at execution: 30

Execution: June 26, 1998

Summary: Narvaiz, Jr. was convicted for stabbing and killing his ex-girlfriend and her two teenage sisters and 11-year-old brother inside their mobile home.

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Joseph John Cannon

Age at execution: 38

Execution: April 22, 1998

Summary: Cannon was convicted for shooting and killing the sister of his court-appointed attorney for a burglary charge.

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Michael Lee Lockhart

Age at execution: 37

Execution: Dec. 9, 1997

Summary: Lockhart was convicted for shooting and killing a Beaumont police officer who tried to arrest Lockhart for driving a stolen vehicle. Lockhart also faced capital murder charges in Florida and Indiana.

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Dwight Dwayne Adanandus

Age at execution: 41

Execution: Oct. 1, 1997

Summary: Adanandus was convicted for shooting and killing a man in the foyer of Continental Bank. The man was attempting to stop Adanandus from leaving the bank with $10,000 he stole from a bank teller.

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Vernon Lamar Sattiewhite

Age at execution: 40

Execution: Aug. 15, 1995

Summary: Sattiewhite was convicted for kidnapping and killing his ex-girlfriend in a downtown parking lot. Sattiewhite's ex had contacted officials more than a month before her death trying to keep Sattiewhite away from her.

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Karl Hammond

Age at execution: 31

Execution: June 21, 1995

Summary: Hammond was convicted for breaking into an FBI secretary's apartment and stabbing, raping and killing her. A few hours after his conviction, Hammond escaped from Bexar County Jail. He was found the next day and two sergeants were fired for letting him escape.

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Mario Marquez

Age at execution: 36

Execution: Jan. 17, 1995

Summary: Marquez was convicted of raping, strangling and killing his 18-year-old wife and 14-year-old niece.

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Walter Key Williams

Age at execution: 32

Execution: Oct. 5, 1994

Summary: Williams was convicted in the fatal shooting of a man at a Circle K Food Store, where Williams used to work.

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Ruben Montoya Cantu

Age at execution: 26

Execution: Aug. 24, 1993

Summary: Montoya was convicted for breaking into a San Antonio home, with an accomplice, where he robbed and shot two men nine times each. One victim died and one lived to testify against them in court.

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John R. Thompson

Age at execution: 32

Execution: July 8, 1987

Summary: Thompson was convicted for shooting and killing a 70-year-old mini-storage business owner during a robbery.

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Jesse de la Rosa

Age at execution: 24

Date of Execution: May 15, 1985

Summary: De la Rosa was convicted for killing a convenience store clerk, and former captain in the Iranian Air Force, during a robbery. He got away with only one six-pack of beer.

A San Antonio rapper convicted of slitting the throat of a local studio owner during a robbery has lost a bid to have his death sentence overturned.

The U.S. Supreme Court without comment Monday denied an appeal by Ray Jasper III, whose Texas death sentence was affirmed in April by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Before that, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals had affirmed his capital murder conviction and sentence.

No execution date has been set. It was not immediately clear what his next step might be. A message was left for his lawyer.

During his trial in 1999 in Bexar County, it was established that Jasper booked a bogus music recording session so he and two friends could rob and kill the studio owner, David Alejandro, in 1998.

Alejandro, 33, was a local musician who sang lead in local Christian pop band The Max, in addition to running the studio.

Jasper's rap group had recorded music there before, prosecutors said.

During trial, the state fed the jury a steady diet of physical evidence, testimony and even Jasper's confession about his participation.

Among the evidence: stolen recording equipment in two getaway vans left at the scene when an off-duty officer arrived, DNA taken from a puddle of spit near one of the vans that matched Jasper's and fingerprints in the studio.

Also, Jasper's girlfriend testified that he told her what he had done.

Apparently unrepentant, Jasper took the stand during the punishment phase and addressed Alejandro's family.

“I just want you to know from me personally that I did not kill David Alejandro. I knew David,” Jasper testified, according to a prior San Antonio Express-News story. “I knew him for some time. ... But that man was brutally murdered. He was stabbed 25 times. I'm not a killer, and I didn't do it.”

Jasper went on to explain that although he “cut” Alejandro's throat, an accomplice delivered the mortal wounds, the story said.

A jury took about 15 minutes to convict Jasper and fewer than two hours to decide on his punishment.